About

UBOOT The Board Game

£686,652

pledged of £65,000 goal

8,342

backers

UBOOT The Board Game is a real-time tabletop game of WW2 submarine warfare. An underwater cooperative war thriller that allows 1 to 4 players to assume the roles of the Captain, the First Officer, the Navigator, and the Chief Engineer on board of a type VIIC U-boat. The game is enhanced by a companion app, allowing for an unprecedented level of realism, as well as a challenging enemy A.I. which will push your skills to the limit. The action unfolds both on the strategic and the tactical scale, always demanding teamwork, efficient crew management, and quick situation assessment.

What the reviewers say:

Game overview

The Crew

Each of the four roles entails unique responsibilities, encouraging the players to develop an efficient communication scheme and use genuine navy terminology. The Captain oversees the completion of mission objectives, supervises action point costs, and is responsible for the crew's morale. The First Officer operates the companion app, manages the flow of information, and takes care of the crew's health. The Navigator steers the submarine by setting its course and depth, but also updates all the essential information on the strategic, and the tactical map. Last, but not least, is the Chief Engineer, who is responsible for the engines, repairs, as well as other mechanical implements on board of the U-boat (such as the ballast tanks, weapon systems, etc.). At the same time, each of the four officers commands his own group of crew members by issuing orders within a worker placement system.

The App

The idea behind the companion app is to deliver a real-time, realistic gameplay experience. To that end, the app features the most essential instruments of the u-boat (such as the periscope, the hydrophone, and the Enigma, among others). Rest assured, however, that the vast majority of gameplay traditionally takes place on the game board, with the instruments revealing otherwise hidden information, and the app requiring only certain data (such as the U-boat's course, speed, etc.) in order to generate an adequate A.I. response of the enemy force. It is also responsible for all the ambient sound effects, thus immersing the players even deeper into the claustrophobic interiors of the type VIIC. But fear not! With open & play being a design priority, you will be launching torpedoes in no time, thanks to streamlined rules, video tutorials, and variable difficulty levels for each player.

The Mission

From quick skirmishes, through full combat missions, to an all-out campaign, UBOOT will let you conduct submarine operations in all major naval theatres of the 2nd World War. Success of these missions hinges on the completion of various tasks delegated to the crew by the BdU (U-boat HQ), which include patrol duty, ambushing convoys, laying mines in enemy waters, and many more! Each mission will require the players to adopt various strategies and playstyles in order to successfully complete it, and the companion app will generate a detailed report at the end of each game session (evaluating player efforts, and possibly awarding decorations, promotions, etc.). That is, if the U-boat makes it back home…

Gameplay video

How to play

The stage is set and the crew is awaiting your orders. Do you have what it takes to command the Kriegsmarine's finest? Hunt or be hunted, as you brave the stormy seas of the greatest conflict in history!

Core rules

The Captain

The Navigator

The First Officer

The Chief Engineer

Pledge level

The UBOOT Pledge includes one copy of the game, one copy of the Kickstarter Special Expansion - Giant Playing Mat (latex), and any additional Stretch goals we may reach during the campaign.

The UBOOT All-in Pledge includes one copy of the game, one copy of the Kickstarter Special Expansion - Giant Playing Mat upgraded to eco leather material, Interior upgrade resin pack, Supply tokens upgrade resin pack, Environmental conditions upgrade resin pack, 110 Paladin sleeves and any additional Stretch goals we may reach during the campaign. This gives you extra £6 all-in discount.

You may multiply your pledge to get additional copies of the game to save on shipping.

You will be able to choose your language edition in the BackerKit Pledge Manager after the campaign.

Why pledge now?

To save 20%! After the campaign, the retail price of UBOOT will be £80, (€90, $100).

To get a free Kickstarter Special Expansion: Giant Playing Mat (retail value £25, €29, $33)!

To receive the game before it hits retail distribution.

To help an independent publisher to design, develop, and publish unique, challenging games.

Our goal and Stretch goals

With this campaign we are back to Kickstarter basics. The design is complete, with 2 years of development and playtesting behind it. There will be no rule-changing expansions and stretch goals. We will use them only to improve the components, including the game's app, and to enrich gameplay. This is the reason why we have chosen Kickstarter. We are offering a great product at a great price and a short fulfillment period. There is no hidden agenda. We are offering a great and simple deal.

The game will be published if we reach the funding goal: £65.000. Then we will dive deeper for some Stretch goals. Stretch goals are added to every game for free:

Social stretch goal

You have unlocked five social stretch goals - thank you!

No Kickstarter exclusives

We are players at heart, so we are against Kickstarter exclusives. That is why we have prepared Kickstarter Special Expansion: free for our backers and available later in retail, but at an additional cost.

Add-Ons

We are offering a number of items that you can add to your pledge. To include add-ons in your pledge, please click on the Manage your pledge button. Increase your total pledged amount of the add-on values, to include any items you would like to receive. You will be able to let us know in the Pledge Manager (after the campaign ends) which items you have added to your order.

The add-ons are language independent, unless otherwise stated in the add-on description.

Game rules

Production & delivery

Please note that not all the graphic material presented here is final. The photos are showing handmade prototypes of the game. The final production quality will be much higher.

The games are produced in the EU (with miniatures produced in China), keeping the proven high standards of PHALANX. If you back us on Kickstarter, you will receive your copy several weeks before the game reaches any retail outlets! Our goal is to produce UBOOT within 180 days of reaching our funding goal. Kickstarter backers will have their copies delivered no later than December 2018.

Shipping

You will be asked to pay the shipping cost in the Pledge Manager after the campaign. At that time, you will be able to add extra copies of the game and items from our Add-on list. Additional items may increase shipping costs. PHALANX is responsible for shipping the English edition of the game. The games will be shipped out from USA, EU, Canada and Australia. The estimated shipping cost is: USA £15 to most states, £30 to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Canada £20. EU £10 to most countries (Poland - free). Other European countries £15 - £30 (Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus: £10). Asia £30, Australia £25, New Zealand £35, Oceania £45, Latin America £45, Africa £45.

You can multiply the UBOOT Pledge to get significant savings on shipping costs. For example: the cost of shipping to most EU countries will be £10 for a single game and £15 for 2-4 games, if shipped to the same address. Call your friends and save up to £25 on shipping!

International Distribution

If you're a retailer from the EU, please contact us at sales[at]vertima.trade to receive an offer. Otherwise, please contact Ares Games Distribution, our distributor for the rest of the World.

Media

Backing the game is a great way to support the project, but the next best thing you could do is to help us build awareness for the game by following us and sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and elsewhere.

Please subscribe to our newsletter (just send an email to: newsletter[at]phalanxgames.co.uk or use the form at uboottheboardgame.com) to be the first to know about our future releases.

Who are we?

UBOOT is designed and published by people passionate about both the tabletop experience and history.

PHALANX is an international publisher that has been publishing board games since 2009. Our goal is to publish beautiful, challenging games with original themes. We are known for great quality products and customer-focused service. We cooperate with the largest companies on the market, such as Stonemaier Games, Mayfair Games, KOSMOS, Academy Games, Asyncron games, Ediciones MasQueOca, Feuerland Spiele and Cranio Creations. We have already published various games in English, and many people enjoy playing them, like all times classic Mark Simonitch’s Hannibal & Hamilcar. 1944: Race to the Rhine voted one of the best wargames of 2014. Others include The Magnates: A Game of Power, Germania Magna: Border in Flames, and Days of Honor.

Iron Wolf Studio are the authors behind the game. They are an ambitious game design studio comprising a duo of veteran gamers and World War 2 enthusiasts. Their ambition is to breathe new life into worn-out genres and rediscover the joy of venturing into uncharted gaming territories. To that end, they are not afraid of reaching for new technologies and never-before-seen solutions. Their mission with UBOOT is to prove to the world that wargames can be innovative, beautiful, and exciting, while paying respect to historical accuracy and realism at the same time.

PlayWay is one of the biggest Polish videogame publishers, acting as investor and licensor of the UBOOT brand.

Ediciones MasQueOca is one of the most relevant publishers in Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian languages, Based in Spain. Has published more than 60 games including Mice and Mystic, Camel Up, Pax Porfiriana Collector Edition, Keyflower, Concordia, etc. and has participated in successful kickstarter projects such as Fief: France 1429, Mare Nostrum, 878 Vikings or Hannibal & Hammilcar. Ediciones MasQueOca has a strategic partnership with PHALANX developing for the Spanish market most of their games (Magnates, 1944:Race to the Rhine, Hannibal & Hamilcar) and now, UBOOT The Board Game.

ASYNCRON games is a French board game publisher. Its most famous boardgames are Mare Nostrum and FIEF.
PHALANX and ASYNCRON games are partners since several years with 1944 RttR, Mare Nostrum and Hannibal & Hamilcar and they currently working on other projects.
ASYNCRON games has already managed 7 successful crowdfunding campaign and is now looking forward to handling the French version of UBOOT.

Cranio Creations Founded back in 2009 by a group of young, skilled and enthusiastic gamers and artists, Cranio Creations quickly evolved into one of the most well-known board game publishers in Italy. We offer games suitable for every occasion or gaming group, focusing our production on ingenious and innovative mechanics along with a gorgeous graphical design. Some of our best received works are Lorenzo il Magnifico and A Tale of Pirates and Unusual Suspects. We are always looking fro the most innovative and interesting products to localize for the italian market, and UBOOT The Board Game is one of the best upcoming project in the market!

Crowd Games, founded in 2015. Since then we have published many great games in Russian, such as: Caverna, Scythe, Mice and Mystics, Dead of Winter, This War of Mine, TIME Stoiries, and many others. We are really looking forward to working on UBOOT with Phalanx.

Risks and challenges

PHALANX has been publishing board games since 2009.
Our products are known for great quality, just like our customer service. We co-publish games with the largest companies on the market, like Stonemaier Games, Mayfair Games, KOSMOS, Academy Games, Asyncron games, Ediciones MasQueOca, Feuerland Spiele and Cranio Creations.
This is our third Kickstarter campaign: in 2016 we successfully fulfilled the Germania Magna campaign, and Mark Simonitch’s Hannibal & Hamilcar in 2018.
We do not expect delays in production, but unforeseen issues may arise during manufacturing and shipping. We estimate that in the worst case scenario, the production might suffer delays of at most 30 days, and shipping & customs may add some extra 15-30 days. We are experienced with large production runs, and we are preparing back-up plans for each step of the project, from production to shipping and final delivery.
By pledging on this project you agree that our responsibility to you is to ship your order as entered into the pledge management system. You are responsible for import or other duties that may be payable to relevant tax authorities. You also accept that you are fully liable for incorrect shipping details and will risk your pledge being undeliverable or lost in transit. We are unable to ship to PO Boxes. We allow a maximum of 1 delivery location per backer, regardless of number of pledges / copies ordered.
If you do not accept the proposed terms, then please do not pledge on this project; wait for the retail release.

Support

Select this reward

Pledge £65 or more
About US$ 83

UBOOT PLEDGE

One copy of UBOOT the Board Game and all of the stretch goals that are met during the campaign, with 20% discount on the retail price!
One copy of each Kickstarter Special Expansion funded during this campaign.
This pledge does not include shipping. You will be asked to pay shipping and choose your language edition in the Pledge Manager after the campaign.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £110 or more
About US$ 141

UBOOT All-in PLEDGE

One copy of UBOOT the Board Game, Eco leather Giant Playing Mat, Interior upgrade resin pack, Supply tokens upgrade resin pack, Environmental conditions upgrade resin pack, 110 Paladin sleeves and all of the stretch goals that are met during the campaign, with 20% discount on the retail price and extra £6 all-in discount!
This pledge does not include shipping. You will be asked to pay shipping and choose your language edition in the Pledge Manager after the campaign.